Bracket shelf



March 6, 1951 Filed Dec. 10, 1948 L. D. WATKINS BRACKET SHELF 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR.

Auaus D. Wan/N5 m,m%m

, A rroewe Y March 6,1951 v L, D. WATKINS 2,544,203

' BRACKET SHELF Filed Dec. 10, 1948 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. lac/us 0. Warxwfi A -r romvs Y5 Patented Mar. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT FFl(IE BRACKET SHELF Lucius D. Watkins, Milwaukee, Wis. Application December 10, 1948, Serial No. 64,494

'4 Claims.

This invention relates to a bracket shelf. The

device is of the type adapted to be suspended from a window mullion or sash rail for the support of a flowerpot or the like.

'It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel and simple device, one part of which comprises a shelf provided with hooks for engaging the window mullion, another part comprising a bracket having portions connected with the shelf for mutual support;

'vided with an upturned margin at I for more It is a further object of the invention to provide a device which will support considerable weight without requiring any positive connection with the window mullicn, the shelf having hooks for non-sliding engagement with the mullion,

and the bracket having a portion in thrust con tact with the window beneath the muilion and desirably in the same vertical plane as the hooks 4 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective showing a corner of the shelf having a toothed hook for engagement with a window mullion.

'Fig. 5 is a view in longitudinal section through a bracket shelf showing a modified construction. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the shelf shown in' Fig. 5, its hooked portionsbeing partially illus trated prior to bending into hook form.

Fig. '7 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in longitudinal section through a further embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a view in rear elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 7-.

Fig. 9 is a view in plan of the embodiments shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Fig. 10 is a detail view taken in section on the line Ill-IE3 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view taken in section on the line' llll of Fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of the disassociated shelf and bracket elements of the embodiments disclosed in Figures '7 toll.

Fig. is a greatly enlarged detail view-in-perspective of one toothed plate made in accordance with a preferred construction.

The shelf 6 comprises a plate preferably prosecurely locating thereon a flowerpot or other object such as is indicated in broken lines at 8 in Fig. 1. The marginal flange preferably need enclose only the front and sides of the shelf, the rear having a rolled bead at 9, the free margin of which is provided at spaced intervals with teeth l0. These teeth increase the frictional engagement of the shelf with any suitable support such as the window mullion l I, but under normal loads they do no injury to any surface.

It will be observed that the hooks are, in all embodiments of my invention, in substantially direct contact with the face of the glass of the window pane.

In the embodiment shown in .Figs. 1 to 4, two

portions of the shelf are embossed downwardly. One portion I2 is severed from the shelf proper along one marginat 13 leaving a space into which. the eye portion M of the bracket l5 may be inserted to be retained frictionally therein as shown both in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

Another downwardly embossed portion [6 is apertured at It to receive the hooked end I! of the bracket i5.

The bracket may comprise a single piece of wire having a bend at 58 where the .wire is folded upon itself. One leg of the wire is carried upwardly in any desired convolutions for ornamental purposes to the eye M which is engaged within boss I2 as already described. .The other.

-- leg of the wire bracket is carried upwardly and terminates in hooked end ll which isengaged in the aperture It of boss 13. Thereby both points.

of engagement of the bracket with. theshelf are disposedin recesses below the shelf level where theywill not interfere with any object placed thereon. I

Obviously the particular design of the shelf isimmaterial. It is, however, desired that the shelf preferably should have a back margin with portions in substantially rectilinear transverse alignment in order properly to engage the window mullion or other support. The shelf may be supported on a chair rail or the like, or even on spaced nails in a wall over which the teeth are ing formed of a piece-of wire is made of a stamp ing of somewhat similar outline in side elevation. At its lower end, it has a portion I80 adapted to engage the window glass I9 or any other vertical surface below the mullion IIll. At its upper end the bracket I50 is provided with a laterally projectin ear at I which is thrust through a slot 20 in the downwardly embossed portion I50 of the shelf 60.

The ear lies within the boss, thus interlocking the bracket andl'th'e shelf; At another. pointithee bracket I511 is also provided with a laterallyoff set car at I40. This, however, is not interlockingly engaged with the shelf but merely abuts? the lower surface thereof, being confined againstlateral displacement by two small bosses at I 20' and I2I as best shown in Fig. 6.

Although small teeth like those shownat In. in Fig. 3 are to be preferred, the device may al ternatively be provided with one or more wide. chisel-like teeth IIlIl (Fig. 6).

It is found: that: almost any reasonable. load.

can be imposed on theshelf of. the devicewithout in any 'way dislodgingthe;shelf bracket'from the million. In. fact. the. more. heavily the' device isloaded, th'e more secure will .beits engagement with theimullion. Although a.very. definiteand: effective connectionwith themullion-results from. the-use of.the teethIOorrIIlILit is found that no damage to the mullion results,v even though the shelf is heavily'loaded- The width of.the mullion;. within-all-standard commerciallimits; is immate-- rial; thebracket. providing? adequate clearance and yet returning to: the vertical plane of the teeth Iii.

In the-embodiment: shown inFigs'rv to 12,;in-

elusive; both the shelf .portion and the bracket.- portion a'rezdesirably molded; Plastic or. the like,. such as any of the synthetic resins, isla-suitable material. The shelfi6I .hasat its rear or'windowadjacent end, rearwardlyprojecting bosses 9|- fromlwhichthe.teeth IIJI project downwardly in: substantial. contact with. the glass of. the window, thezteetnbeing, engaged with any mullion, adjaoent'the glass'or. with: any suitable; support.- on a wall. The t'eeth are.conveniently. formed on-plates' I02 which are:apertured; Asbest shown in Fig. 18, the teeth are. conveniently and desirably made with downwardly beveled rear faces 'ex-' tending to th'eiapices'of'theteeth at an angle which may 'approxi'ma e.45.;.in the devices-illustrated. 'I'heigeneral..proportions of:.these devices arezsuchthat the resultantlinegof thrust through the teeth is atanangle' of approximately 45.. Since. the teeth are. correspondingly beveled, theytend.toengageithetsupportinggsurfaeei-more securely than. they vvouldifz formed at any other. angle; If; the. proportionsof the:device:are modified from-those: illustrated, it: is: desirable, for: the best.v results,. that: the: bevel. of" the: rear. surface of. the.- teeth; be; correspondingly"modifiedto: conform, .atdeast: in a general way, with the direction of there, sultant. line: of. thrust 6.

Inmolding theshelf 6|, studs I03 are'provided whicharei receivable into theapierturesfi of the. plates I 62-; thereafter.beingriveted; asbymeansofr a hotiiron; .to' form: a' head 2 I 04' which-anchors the plate I 12 to the-shelf as best; shown: in .Fig. 10.

The; shelf: may conveniently be: reenforced. byintcrsecting ribs'zat'. I65; I61; I66 and I68 as-best. shown in Fig. 9, these providing a flowerpot. support Which;. due to flowerpot irregularities, ismore apt to be. stable than a planiform' surface.- The pockets between the: ribs. receive and retain: surplus. water: which. might.- drip? from. a planiform. surfaces Additional ribs at I22 and I23 enclose a slot at I2I in which the boss I4I of bracket I5I is receivable. The boss I M has a forwardly projecting tongue at I44 which engages the end of the slot to limit further movement in the assembly of the bracket with the shelf. In the final position of the parts, the thickened side margins I42, I43 of the boss IIII lie intermediate the ends of slot I2I in pressed fit engagement with the sides'of the slot. In this intermediate portion" of the slot, there is substantial resilient yielding of the side margins for the frictional retention of the boss.

A: more positive interlock is provided between the rear of the bracket and the rear of the shelf, the bracket having a stud I'II headed at I12 and thesshelf. having a.slot I 6| between flanges I63 and I64, such flanges terminating to provide a widened'slot portion at I62 into which the head I12 is receivable. The rear of this slot comes to amapex between tberibs I 65 and IE6, butithis is? immaterialto. the. result.

The various forms of the attachable inter;- locking connection herein disclosedas a means of securing-the bracket to the shelf are preferred to a" one-piece construction because they enable the'device. to bershipped with the parts disassembled? However, it is contemplated that within the scope of this invention any other desired means of connecting thebracketi and shelf may be.- used.

The. several forms of my device are alllex tremely simple' and inexpensive requiring. few parts and very littlecost of manufacture or: assembly; Inifacigeach is adapted to beshipped. knocked down; the: shelf and bracket being; assembled by the. consumer. In each case, the.- bracket element assembles to'theshelf' in such: a way as to provide a horizontal shelf 6 and to. locate theglass' engaging terminus of the bracket. I8substantially vertically below the teeth;

I claim::

1. A bracket shelf comprising the combination: with a shelf plate. having near its'rearmostextremity downwardly directed teeth, of a bracket, connected with the plate'and extending there-- beneath and having a terminus substantially in the transverse vertical-plane of such. extremity and disposed for engagement with a vertical: surface. beneath said. extremity.

2. The combination with a shelf plate. provided. adjacent one marginwithteeth, said plate having acentral portion'provided withspaced-open-- ingsrespectively closer to andemore remote from. said teeth, of a bracket having a terminal portion. lying. beneath. the teeth and having connecting means. respectively engaged. through said open-' ings and-securing; the bracket'tothe plate, the connecting means .closest.to the teeth having; an. offset portioninterlocked with the plate-against separationtherefrom whenthe plate is subjected to.l'oadl 3'. A device of the. character described comprising the: combination with a molded shelf having aligned slot means, oneof whichhas-awide. portion. and. laterally spacedfianges providin a narrower extensionfromsaid:wide/per tion, together. withabracket having astud provided with a head receivable through the wide; portionand slidable into interlocking; engagement over said flanges, said bracket: having, a second studreceivable into the other of said slot-means.- and. of. such width. as to be engaged therein with. al pressed. fit.

4.. Abracket'shelf. comprising: the.- combination with a shelf plate having near its rearmost extremity downwardly directed teeth, of a bracket connected with the plate and extending therebeneath and. having a terminus substantially in the transverse vertical plane of such extremity and disposed for engagement with a vertical surface beneath said extremity, the said teeth having rear faces substantially in said plane and beveled surfaces leading rearwardly to said faces.

LUCIUS D. WATKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 476,994 Ellis June 14, 1892 1,156,129 Berger Oct. 12, 1915 10 1,984,602 Snyder Dec. 18, 1934 2,029,246 McCarroll Jan. 28, 1936 

